India revokes Dr Zakir Naik’s passport

PETALING JAYA: The Indian government has revoked the passport of controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik (pic).

According to The Times of India, the revocation by the regional passport office in Mumbai follows a recommendation from India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The agency has already booked him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over his speeches, which allegedly incited youth to commit terror acts.

It then moved for the revocation of his passport after his failure to respond to multiple notices asking him to join the investigation and for not cooperating with them.

The revocation will now restrict his movements, say officials, as Zakir reportedly travels between Saudi Arabia, where he was granted citizenship recently, Malaysia and other countries after leaving India in 2016, The Times of India reported.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against him on April 21, and during its issuance, a special NIA court in Mumbai had said that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that Naik is evading arrest and that he will not voluntarily appear before the court or before the agency”.

It is also reported that NIA had also approached Interpol seeking a red corner notice against him.